Yeah, I was reading too much into your and the OPs reply, sorry. But I already know there is massive destructive power in that zombie. I think I even mentioned it myself in some earlier post.

But my point is this: You don't need a crystal ball to know that that zombie is spelling trouble. But the OP is sure " how quickly they will wreck all your hard work if ..." And sure, if you get 3 of them into your base that surely sounds like it might be the end. But why allow them into your base? Why assume that 20 of them will be spawned. Why assume that you won't run out and try your luck by drawing them out again before trying to explode them.

I'm not an FPS player. I don't like firearms and I am not good with them.
I like strategy more and I build my bases for this purpose. I have an emergency exit but I usually don't make the entrances easy accessable. Otherwise the zombies might use this entrance instead of the way through the traps. It will definitely be a tough nut to build a base that includes both the demolisher zombie and the AI in the planning.

MM got 1 or 2 demolishers in his horde night and found a way to deal with them. I don't know if I find a way but I will not give up before even trying it out or ask TFP to tell me how to deal with them. Maybe I need to build a ring of walls, maybe have a drawn out base with multiple points of defense. Maybe have enough movement space on stilts so no two demolishers can hit the same spot.

I will certainly not give up and probably spend several days developing base designs. I have asked Madmole before and his answer was that I should trigger the explosion.

The base you suggested wouldn't be my style. This is something for someone who likes to defend himself with firearms.

I also wonder how the players will do that, prefer the melee bases.

Wouldn't reinforced concrete after 5000 HP damage downgrade to concrete and still have 2500 HP? So one demolisher is not an automatic breach into whatever is behind there.

This has been changed to A17. Reinforced concrete block are no longer downgraded to concrete but destroyed.

In his video the steel pillars downgraded to reinforced concrete before disappearing

I think I remember him commenting on that to the team. I don't think they'll downgrade to reinforced concrete for long.

The design is that upgrading blocks is a generalized abstracted process of actually tearing down the old block and replacing it with the better block. TFP didn't think it would be very fun to force players to demolish the existing block and then craft and place the new block especially with wanting to upgrade an entire base. So they streamlined the process to remove the demolishing and crafting step. If you want to replace reinforced concrete with steel you upgrade to it but it is a steel block and not steel plating over concrete. (This part might be wrong...)

Therefore, steel downgrading to concrete etc doesn't make sense. It is a steel block and there is no concrete hiding beneath it and there is no abstraction that makes sense of a zombie destroying the block and then replacing it with a weaker version of a block.

Madmole explained that the steel blocks are steel coated blocks made of reinforced concrete. If the coating is destroyed, the reinforced concrete is visible.

Then that is different or a change from what I heard. Madmole will have to clarify. I was under the impression all blocks will destroy to air. If they want the steel to be siding over the top of concrete....so be it.

I think I remember him commenting on that to the team. I don't think they'll downgrade to reinforced concrete for long.

not a fan of that, it would be nice if there was a way that if you did the upgrades to the block the expensive way it breaks down from steel like it was wrapped around the reinforced concrete then reinforced concrete broke down to rebar frame then gone. Oh well
I see zeds sometimes clip through doors again from video. QUESTION: will the pressure plates finally work right? Last time i used them every time a zed stepped on one it killed my FPS. I cant wait to play A18 though, great videos MM

not a fan of that, it would be nice if there was a way that if you did the upgrades to the block the expensive way it breaks down from steel like it was wrapped around the reinforced concrete then reinforced concrete broke down to rebar frame then gone. Oh well
I see zeds sometimes clip through doors again from video. QUESTION: will the pressure plates finally work right? Last time i used them every time a zed stepped on one it killed my FPS. I cant wait to play A18 though, great videos MM

yeah the alpha 18 hype is real I also cant wait as well! gonna be really fun to play I think the replayability value looks high wthout me even playing it so I am very excited

not a fan of that, it would be nice if there was a way that if you did the upgrades to the block the expensive way it breaks down from steel like it was wrapped around the reinforced concrete then reinforced concrete broke down to rebar frame then gone. Oh well
I see zeds sometimes clip through doors again from video. QUESTION: will the pressure plates finally work right? Last time i used them every time a zed stepped on one it killed my FPS. I cant wait to play A18 though, great videos MM

Well it sounds like I could have it wrong at least in the case of steel. We'll see...I personally like the downgrading path instead of straight to air because it gives time to repair. Destroying instantly to air is a lot more difficult if you are trying to repair as you fight.

Then that is different or a change from what I heard. Madmole will have to clarify. I was under the impression all blocks will destroy to air. If they want the steel to be siding over the top of concrete....so be it.

You only have to have a look at the blocks.xml file. If a downgrade block is specified in the block description then the block will not be destroyed. For example, for steelBlock the downgrade block is rConcreteBlock.